Labrador Retriever Dogs Blog

One good thing about the labrador retriever chat board and forums is that we discuss many off topic issues that are unrelated to labrador retrievers and dogs in general. The members of the forum love to share jokes, stories about their daily happenings and even links to sites where you can find a great sale or two.

If you read the off topic forums you are can always find a great deal or two. Take a look at the great sale price on this Nintendo Wii T-Charge Duo Wireless Game Controller Charging Stand by Thrustmaster – With 4 Rechargeable AAA Batteries. We have really started to use our Wii in our household. My other half uses the Wii Fit, our daughter has a few games that she loves and I am hooked on Tiger Woods. The problem with using our Wii so much is the batteries for the controllers. We go through them like water. This charger kit will save us a great deal of money in battery replacement and the price is pretty good. Besides saving $5.00 I think the price is already low to begin with plus they offer free shipping. It’s a nice deal. You never know what great sale prices you will find at the forums.

You need to keep your dog active indoors, for one thing, so he or she will stay calmer indoors. But during long winter months when playing outside in certain parts of the country is not an option this is the only way to make sure your dog stays physically fit. Just like humans, a dog can gain weight and have heart problems if not allowed to have enough exercise.

These 5 dog activities are ones that we do in our house from time to time.

• Fetching a ball is one of my dog's favorite activities. We have stairs and one of us throws the ball down the stairs and she runs down and retrieves the ball. This gives her such good exercise. A tennis ball is perfect for this activity.

• Sometimes, my dog loves to play keep away from us with one of her toys. She will grab one of her toys in her mouth and we try to get it from her. She actually runs away from us! It is a hoot.

• Other times she loves to just have us chase her. We get exercise this way too!

• We have a good (made for a dog) tug of war rope that she loves to do. We hold one end and sometimes she holds so tight that we can lift her off the ground. (She only weighs 22 pounds though.)

• If you have an open enough space in part of your house you could get a Frisbee and have your dog catch it when you throw it.

Walking Your Dog

When the weather permits, though, it is always great to take your dog for a walk. It is a bonding experience for you and your dog. It also makes both of you healthier. All dogs also need to learn to walk on a leash with today's leash laws too.

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I made a change at the chat forums last week. I started to archive all of the dogs that members have been involved with the rescue and adoption of. And then reading through the board I am suprised how many people give up on their dogs after their life plans change a little.

I have seen people have children or go back to medical assistant training school or have to move and immediatly want to give their dogs away. There are so many other options out there to help you in your time of transition that you don't need to get rid of old rover. Find a friend or family member that can help out. Look into a kennel or daily dog walker. See if somebody can take them in for a bit.

Your dog loves you unconditionally. The last thing they want is to be dumped in a shelter because you think you can't keep them. Remember, we are supposed to be the evolved species here. There are many options open to you so explore them and give your dog a chance.

It never ceases to amaze me how fired up people can get over something like dog food. I have never really gotten into the debate or weighed in on it. Our breeder was feeding Cooper one type of dog food and we didn't care for it so we researched a few others, talked to our vet and to the pet food store owner and went with another. We haven't looked back since.

That doesn't mean however that the food we use is good for all dogs. It might disagree with your labrador retriever. Much like food disagree from person to person. Allergies to be more specific. But that doesn't mean one is better that the other. It just means one is more agreeable.

Pet food to me is something like looking for insurance quotes or paying your taxes. It's something importan that you are going to be doing for a long time. So research it out and talk to the professionals and see how your dog does with the food you have chosen. Just because somebody tells you one type of pet food is better than another doesn't make it true.

I think I have blogged about this before but I have read a couple of more stories on the internet about labrador retriever owners concerned about their dogs eating things and becoming sick. When I read some of the stories it sounds like it's the dogs fault for getting into things but the way I look at these type of situations it's up to us as owners to make sure our dogs don't have unsafe items to get into. I was looking around my workshop area the other day and noticed I had lots of things laying out like small tools, bearings and boxes of screws and nails. I quickly realized that this was an accident waiting to happen and put them out of harms way.

Make sure the areas your dog has access to is free of items stored at low areas that they can get into. If they can't reach them, they can't get into them. If you think your dog has swallowed something they shouldn't phone your vet right away. It's better to be safe than sorry.

I was wondering when I was out for a walk the other day how many people just do the same walk over and over again. Like a routine. I like to mix it up a bit when I take old Cooper for a walk around the neighbourhood. The other day we went off the beaten path and walked past some strip malls and auto parts franchises and other stores along the way. I like the change of scenery and it makes going for walks a little more interesting for me and I am sure he doesn't mind. It gets him used to seeing different people and different sites and smells. I also use it to reaffirm our walking techniques as there are lots more people out and about when we take the commercial run.